Written by Gaye Lindsley, Principal
With the tenth anniversary of September 11th being recognized this year, there has been a lot a talk about courage. I started thinking a lot about courage and it struck me how much courage I see every day at Central Elementary School.
During the first month of school I witnessed the most amazing courage as kindergarten students walked into school and marched down the long hallway to their classroom. Especially for the first few days, those young students took deep breaths, let go of their parents’ hands and off they went with uncertainty in their eyes. And, there was plenty of courage in the eyes of those parents as they let go of tiny hands and wished their little ones to have a good day.
One little girl in particular caught my heart those first few days, as she walked in with tears running down her cheeks in the morning and then came to give me a high-five before she left for the day, very proud of herself for having made it.
Once these young kindergarten students overcome the uncertainty of school, they begin learning at an unbelievable pace. They fall quickly into the routine of learning with courage and enthusiasm. Children want to learn and with guidance and support from both school and parents, they are destined to succeed.
I also have the privilege of watching our older students use courage. Portage Township Schools stress the importance of living by five core values. We encourage our students to use courage to be respectful, responsible, honest, fair, and compassionate. Standing up against bullying and bad behavior can take lots of courage and I’m proud to say our Central students are working with me to stop all bullying at school and on the bus. When students have friends that are making poor choices, it can take an incredible amount of courage to stand for what is right.
It also takes courage for students to face the demands and challenges of learning. As the quantity and rigor of state standards continues to increase, our students must use courage and determination to be successful. Students need to have a specific place and time for homework. They must make a commitment to come home and get to work so that they get the necessary review to be successful. It can also take courage for students to raise their hands in class and ask for help when they don’t fully understand a concept. Schoolwork and learning isn’t easy and it takes a mountain of courage to keep at it over and over until understanding occurs.
There is no question that parents today are using lots of courage. With so many people out of work, or having to work two and three jobs just to make ends meet, many parents use courage just to keep moving forward. The teachers and staff at Central appreciate how our families continue to stress the importance of education to their children during these challenging times.
The need for courage begins at a very young age and continues throughout our lives. I am very proud of our Central students for the hard work and courage they demonstrate every day, both in their behavior and their schoolwork. Keep up the good work!